You don't scare me, Seven boss tells pirates

Revenge was a hit for Seven, despite screening six months behind the US.

Seven Network boss Tim Worner says the station will not be spooked into fast-tracking imported television series and dramas because of internet pirates.

Seven has just announced a range of new shows and the return of several big hits from overseas for 2013.

Several have screened or will be shown in the US before they appear in Australia.

Once Upon A Time's second season has already started in the US.

Among the shows Seven is screening in 2013 are the second season's of Revenge and Once Upon A Time, which have started in the US, and the third season of the period drama Downton Abbey, which is screening in Britain.

Advertisement

Of the new series, Last Resort, about a US nuclear submarine crew which turns rogue after being attacked by its own navy, and Mrs Biggs, a co-production with Britain's ITV and based on the life of great train robber Ronnie Biggs, are on air elsewhere.

Mr Worner said there was no denying illegal downloading did affect television ratings but not to the point where he believed Seven needed to start fast-tracking shows.

Foxtel is screening Boardwalk Empire on its Showcase channel 48 hours after the US.

"I'm confident that those shows won't be greatly affected by the fact they have been on somewhere else first," he said.

"I know there are other people in the industry who feel differently [about the ratings effects of illegal downloading] and they are making their programming decisions based on that feeling, but I think it's jumping at shadows."

He said the first season of Revenge, one of Seven's big successes this year, ran some six months behind the US yet was still the number one drama in Australia.

"I don't think it's a concern with us and Revenge is a great example," he said. "We ran that sometime after it had been on in the US and the show was huge. Downton Abbey, we screened some time after it had been in the UK, and the show is big."

Mr Worner said he was not dismissing the impact of internet piracy but he did not believe it was the problem other networks were making it out to be.

Network Ten has heavily promoted that several of its US series, such as Homeland and Hawaii Five-0, are now being fast-tracked and Foxtel has done likewise with a number of its programs, including Sons of Anarchy and Boardwalk Empire.

But Mr Worner said viewers were accustomed to watching shows when aired in Australia and in suitable timeslots and he was confident piracy would not spell the end of imported television shows.

"Pirating is a story that gets over written," he said. "Look at the ratings of the shows that have been fast-tracked, how have they gone? By saying that I am not saying we have our head in the sand and we don't think that there are challenges ... but I don't think it's going to kill television."

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

324 comments

fool

Commenter

gillacl

Location

adelaide

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 3:40PM

Agreed. Talk about being completely out of touch with reality. He needn't look any further than the introduction of simultaneous worldwide cinema release dates to realise the effect that downloading has imposed on the entertainment industry.

Channel 7 needs to find a new boss if he believes there hasn't been a significant impact felt in the television industry as well.

Commenter

Jman

Location

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:16PM

Piracy is so yesterday... Doing things legally will cost you the equivalent of a movie ticket a month.

So for the princely sum of $13 per month (2-3 cups of coffee) you can watch shows as soon as they become available in the US.

No need to wait for Aus TV execs to dictate what you watch and when.

No ads.. Mostly.

No need to worry about copyright infringement.

Commenter

Rainier Wolfcastle

Location

Springfiled

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:23PM

It's funny because he says ratings are still good. Which is fine, but ratings are based on a sample audience which always watch tv.So obviously ratings won't be affected.But that doesn't mean the same amount of people are watching tv.Basically anyone who wants to be treated like a moron, keep watching Australian tv. They'll feed you shows when they feel like it, regardless of when the show is released, based on their own commercial requirements. They don't care about you in the slightest.So to hell with them. I'll download what I want, when I want. I hardly turn commercial tv on anymore, all the shows I want are available for download much quicker.

Commenter

Jon

Location

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:32PM

I think the bigger problem than stuffing us around with delays, is the amount of commercials, the constant hype with commercials that often give away big chunks of the plot and the general, oh let's move the schedule around to confuse people!!!!!! You then go and put more crap adds as little scrolling marquees on the screen, and put adds on over the credits.

Don't get me started on Cable, which is just packed with it's own commercials and constant repeats.

And you folk in the industry wonder why consumers are unhappy?

I couldn't stand watching 24 with all the ads, it just broke the mood. Same with Downton Abbey, things get interesting - bang ad break. Thank the gods for downloads!

Commenter

James

Location

Lane Cove

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:39PM

@rainer, For an old ogey, what are the those 2 websites?Have my credit card ready!

Commenter

thirtyoct

Location

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:43PM

RainierTechnically, you're not meant to be doing that, either, because you're circumventing the licensing requirements that Australian networks have paid for (or the overseas network has not authorised because they want overseas markets to pay inflated prices for the content).

I'll stick with piracy until the networks grow up, wake up and accommodate the interests of consumers in the way consumers desire.

Commenter

Bender

Location

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:45PM

The Seaside, Oct 18, 1018

King Canute declared it was "business as usual' as the waves lapped ever higher around his throne this morning. Speaking from inside a crust of barnacles which had begun growing in his beard, the beleaguered monarch remained firm in his determination that he could hold back the tide.

"I won't be held to ransom by naysayers and busybodies who think they know better. I've got decades of experience in management, and won't start running scared from a little water.

" In fact," the King continued, "blublublublublub..."

Commenter

Cap'n Morgan

Location

Sydney

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:47PM

Rainer Wolfcastle, actually, what you are doing is illegal. It is against Hulu's TOC for you to watch shows outside of the US as they don't have the international rights for the shows. Pretty sure you sign off on that when you sign up for an account. So, it is just as illegal as someone downloading pirated shows.

This is the ridiculous situation we are in. Until they change their business model, downloading pirated shows and movies will not end.

Commenter

Nick

Location

Perth

Date and time

October 18, 2012, 4:55PM

What a dinosaur. Here is some news that might make him quake in his boots. I prefer dvd quality, and I like to be able to stroll to my shelves, pull out a dvd and watch it. Granted. But I am also caught up on my favourite shows because while it gives me the screaming irrates having to wait, in some cases, over a year to see my favourite shows locally, I am perfecty happy to download them and then buy the legal DVDS from OS (from legal bona fide sources) as soon as they are released. So that way, I get to see them and enjoy them whenever I want without causing anyone any grief.

There is no earthly reason why Australian viewers have to wait until late next year to see the new season of Downton Abbey. Its just silly old men making very silly decisions that will see their stuffy old networks CLOSE.